Carrier for cork-rod bakers



C. E. vMcMANUS CARR E FOR CORK ROD B APPL 0N FILED, MAY28 AKERS.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922 iTED. STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MCMA'NUS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

' CARRIER FOR CORK-ROD BAKERS.

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. Mo- MANUs, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at the borough of Manhattan, in the city.

county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers for Cork-Rod Bakers, of which the following is a. specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to carriers for cork rod bakers, and more particularly to a structure facilitating the mountingand removal of metallic tubes packed with composition cork in the baking or vulcanizing machine, while at the same timeutilizing the expansion of the composition within the tube, while under heat in the baker, to cause compaction of the mass of the composition in the tube, instead of elongation of the rod.

' In the manufacture of cork rods for use in the production of cushion disks for bottle caps and other purposes, it is the practice to pack a composition. formed of granules of cork having a thin coating of binding mate rial thereon, in metal. tubes. The binder is of a nature which when subjected to an elevated temperature, will first become adhesive, when the critical temperature is reached, and thereafter. be vulcanized or cured .in practically the same manner as vulcanized rubber compounds, resulting in a highly re silient cork product which is used as a sub stitute for natural cork for various purposes. In packing the metallic tubeswith this composition, the cork is fed to the tube in a sequence of small measured batches, each batch being packed afterbeing fed to the tube, a

condition which leaves one end of the tube empty for a short distance. Ordinarily the end of the tube first packed is closed by a removable plug.

During the baking or vulcanizing opera tion, the elevated temperature will cause the expansion of the cork composition in the tube and the main purpose of my present invengranules and a greater densityin the mass forming the rod, while at the same time facilitating the mounting and removal of th tubes the baking mach ne.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 14, 1922.

1921. Serial No. 473,426.

The carrier of my invention embodies therein spaced plates, one of which has a stud thereon adapted to enter the end of the tube in which the cork was last packed, and to extend thereinto for a distance sufiicient to engage the end of the cork rod, the other plate being slotted to receive the opposite end of the tube. The stud must be so formed as to permit the end of the tube to pivot upon same, thus permitting the tubes to be rapidly placed in the baker and rapidly removed therefrom,.it being possible, and preferable, to so construct the carrier as to permit such mounting and removal of the tubes in groups.

The invention consists primarily of a carrier for cork rod bakers embodying therein carrier members, oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of theme- .tallic tubes containing the cork rods, one of said plates having a slot formed in that face thereof presented toward the other plate, and a stud carried by the other plate having a reduced stem and projecting toward said slotted plate, whereby a tube may be mounted in said carrier by inserting the empty end thereof over said stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition in the tube, and dropping the other end of said tube into said slot with a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud; and in such other novel features of construction and combinationof parts as are hereinafter set forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. l is a front view of a carrier embodying my invention, adapted to receive sixteen tubes, two tubes being shown mounted there in with one end thereof shown in section:

Fig. 2 is a face view of the stud carrying plate, upon an enlarged scale, on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation of one of the studs upon a still larger scale; and

Fig. i is a face view of theslotted plate, on the line 1-4; of Fig. 1.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings, a and b indicate carrier chains which are adapted to convey the tubes containing the composition cork to be baked, cured or vulcanized, through the baking oven or vulcanizer. At spaced distances upon this chain are carriers adapted to hold the tubes containing the composition during their passage through the baker or vulcanizer. Since each of these carriers is a duplicate of every other, the showing of the drawings and the description are limited to but one of these carriers.

Carried by opposite links of the chains a and Z) respectively are brackets c and (Z between which extends a stay rod (2 carrying a opposite sides of the rod 0, arranged in four tiers and spaced apart vertically sufficiently stud plate 7' and aslotted plate g. y

The chain 0; passes about a sprocket wheel h while the chain 1) passes about a sprocket wheel 2'. The plates 7" and g are spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the tubes j containing the cork composition, and hai e movement with the chains a and 6 through the baker or vulc-anizer not shown in the drawings.

The plate f in the form of the invention shown, has sixteen studs 7', grouped upon to permiteach tube to rest upon the tube below, the plate g being provided with four vertically extending slots g in the face thereof each oppositely disposed to a vertical row of studs f and presented toward the plate 7', the studs f projecting inwardly of said plate f or toward the plate 9. Each stud f is provided with a reduced stem f and an enlarged head 7, that side of said head presented toward the plate 9 being plane, and the opposite side thereof extending on a curve as at f toward the stem 7' to form a narrow edge about the head.

The top of the slots 9' are flared, and the upper corners of the plate 9 are reduced, as

v the machine by slipping the empty end thereof over a stud f and dropping the opposite end in the oppositely positioned slot g, the cork rod in each tube, when the latter 7 is so positioned, being confined between the .bottom of the slot 9 and the head f of the ."stud 7. In positioning the tube, the upper edge thereof is placed at an angle across the edge of the head and the tube and pro jected into the space between the edge of the head and the surface of the stud, the

- tube-pivoting upon the head as it is dropped to place. The curved portion f of the head is merely to provide a reduced fulcrum 1 ,eoaees point about the edge of the head, and the exact contour of this part of the head as well as the exact shape of the stem 7' is immaterial so long as the stud affords a reduced fulcrum point about which the tube may rock in any direction, and clearancebetween this fulcrum point and the plate f to permit this rocking.

By using a shallow groove g, the tubes j may be inserted at any angle and from any 15 position, so long as they clear the side webs of the grooves 9', it being a practice for the workmanto insert the tubes at an angle so. that the end adjacent theiplate 9 will clear the webs forming the grooves, then'by a lateral movement position them in relation to the groove and permit them to drop to place.

Each carrier is filled as it approaches the operator at thefilling end of the baker or vulcanizer, thevslow rate of travel of the carrier affording ample time for this operation without stopping the machine.

After each carrier has completed its course tl'irough the baker or vulcanizer, the opera tor at the delivery end of the machine seizes, in the form of the invention shown, a group of eight tubes arranged at the end thereof adjacent the plate and at one side of the rod 6 and raises all of the tubes until the lowermost tube has cleared the webs forming the grooves upon said plate, and then by a lateral or twisting movement removes all of the tubes from the studs 7 on which the, are mounted.

lVhile the tubes are in the baker or vul-' canizer they are subjected to an elevated temperature for an interval-of between one and three hours, according to the binder used, this temperature not only making the binding medium adhesive, but during vul canization or curing of the binder, expanding the entire contents of the tube without any substantial elongation of the rod, thus causing the expansion of the composition to subject practically every portion of the rod to a pressure which will bring the different granules of cork and their thin'coating of binder into such an intimate relation as to secure great density in the product.

Theengagement of the plug in each tube with the face of a groove and the engagemerit of the exposed end of the rod-with a stud f will confinethe composition rod so as to secure the effects above referred to, so V faras condensation as a result of expansion is secured. 7

It is apparent that an essential characteristic of the invention is the stud f, the head of which affords'a fulcrumpoint for 1 25 permitting pivotal movement of a tube thereupon, and a reduced stem of a length i to afford clearance for tlie'end of the tube projected across said fulcrum point and that without this construction it would be im' possible to mount tubes in, or remove them from, the carrier.

It is therefore not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details of construetion shown in the drawings, since the characteristics above referred to may be secured by studs of different contour from those shown, and without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent, is

1. A carrier for cork rod bakers embodying therein carrier members, oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and space: apart a distance substantially equalling the length ot the metallic tubes containing the cork rods one of said plates having a slot formed in that face thcreoi presented toward the other plate, and a stud carried by the other plate having a reduced stem and projecting toward said slotted plate, whereby a tube may be mounted in said carrier by inserting the empty end thereof over said stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition of the tube. and dropping the other end of said tube into said slot with a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud.

2. A carrier for cork rod bakers embodying there-in carrier members. oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the metallic tubes containing the cork rods, and a plurality of tiers of studs upon one of said plates, projecting towards the other plate, each of said studs having a reduced stem, and said other plate having a plurality of slots therein op positcly disposed respectively to a row of studs included in the different tiers, whereby tubes may be mounted in said carrier by inserting the empty end of each tube over a stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition of the tube, and dropping the other end of said tube into said slot with a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud.

3. A carrier for cork rod bakers embodying therein carrier members. oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the metallic tubes containingthe cork rods, a stay rod supporting said plates and holding them rigidly in relation to each other, one of said plates having a slot formed in that face thereof presented toward the other plate, and a stud carried by the other plate having a reduced stem and projecting toward said slotted plate, whereby a tube may be mounted in said carrier by inserting the empty end thereof over said stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition of the tube, and dropping the other end oi said tube into saidslot with a a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud.

a. A carrier for cork rod bakers embodying therein carrier members, oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the metallic tubes containing the cork rods. one of said plates having a slot tormed in that face thereof presented toward the other plate, and a stud carried by the other plate projecting toward said slotted plate, said stud having a reduced stem and a circular head of a diameter to have a loose fit within a tube and of reduced dimensions towards said stem to form a fulcrum point about said head to permit a tube to be brought to an angular relation to the stud, whereby a tube may be mounted in said carrier by inserting the empty end. thereof over said stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition of the tube, and dropping the other end of said tube into said slot with a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud.

5. A carrier for cork rod bakers embodying therein carrier members. oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the metallic tubes containing the cork rods, and a plurality of tiers of studs upon one of said plates, each of said studs having a reduced stem and a circular head of a diameter to have a loose fit within a tube and of reduced dimensions towards said stem to form a fulcrum point about said head to permit a tube to be brought to an angular relation to the stud, and said other plate having a plurality of slots therein oppositely disposed respectively to a row oi studs included in the different tiers, whereby tubes may be mounted in said carrier by inseiting the empty end of each over a stud until the head of the stud is in substantial engagement with the cork composition of the tube, and dropping the other end of said tube into said slot with a pivotal movement of the tube about said stud.

6. A carrier -for cork rod bakers embodying therein oppositely disposed sprocket chains, brackets carried by opposite links in said chains, a. stay rod carried by said brackets, oppositely disposed plates carried thereby and spaced apart a distance substantially equalling the length of the metallic tubes containing the cork rods, and a plurality of tiers of studs upon one of said plates, each of said studs having a reduced stem and a circular head of a diameter to have a loose fit within a tube and of reduced dimensions towards said stem to form a fulcrum point about said head to permit a tube to be brought to an angular relation to the stud, and said other plate having a plurality of slots therein oppositely disposed respectively to a row of studs included in Cit In witness whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature, 1n the presence of two sub- 10 SCllblllg Witnesses, thls 18th day of May,

CHARLES IvIeMANUS. Witnesses V F. T. vVENTWORTm F 111mm KOEHLER. 

